Lunch: Tempura Kale Salad With Shiitake Mushrooms, Raisins, and Almonds

Recipe by Katherine Sacks The crispy, crunchy tempura kale in this salad takes the place of breadcrumbs, adding a filling bite that will have you going back for more. And the best part? The salad is totally #wasteless, using the whole kale bunch—stems an

This recipe includes fertility superfoods such as:

Kale, Honey, Miso

Health and fertility benefits of Tempura Kale Salad With Shiitake Mushrooms, Raisins, and Almonds

Kale is an excellent source of calcium, which has an important role in egg maturation and follicle development in the ovaries. One tbsp of honey has a glycemic index (GI) of 55. Miso is extremely nutrient-dense and believed to alkalinize the body and stop the effects of carcinogens in the system.

Ingredients

3/4 cup almonds
7 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 cups shiitake mushrooms (about 9 ounces), stemmed, quartered
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more
Canola oil (for frying; about 2 quarts)
2 bunches Tuscan kale (about 1 3/4 pounds), stems removed and cut lengthwise into 1" pieces, leaves reserved
3/4 cup cold sparkling water
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons rice flour, divided
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons white miso
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon white pepper, plus more
1/2 cup golden raisins, divided

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Toast almonds on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing halfway through, until golden brown, 8 –10 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop; set aside.
Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high until oil begins to glisten, about 1 minute. Cook mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and transfer to a plate; set aside.
Wipe out pot and pour in canola oil to a depth of 2"; fit pot with thermometer. Heat oil over medium-high until thermometer registers 350 °F.
Meanwhile, cut 3 cups kale leaves into 1" pieces. Thinly slice remaining leaves and set aside separately.
Combine sparkling water, 1/2 cup rice flour, and 3/4 tsp. salt with a fork in a medium bowl. Toss 1" piece kale leaves, 2 1/4 cups kale stems, and remaining 2 Tbsp. rice flour in another medium bowl. Pour sparkling water mixture over kale, then massage into kale with your hands, coating completely.
Working in batches, fry battered kale until golden, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels and season with salt.
Blend vinegar, honey, miso, sesame oil, 1/8 tsp. white pepper, 3/4 cup kale stems, and remaining 6 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a blender until smooth.
Massage three-quarters of the dressing into reserved sliced kale leaves in a large bowl. Add reserved mushrooms, three-quarters of the tempura kale, and half of the raisins and reserved almonds; toss to combine. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Transfer to a platter, then top with remaining raisins, almonds, and tempura kale. Drizzle with remaining dressing.

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